EuroBasket 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most competitive international basketball tournaments in years, and Germany enters with real championship aspirations. Ranked third in FIBA’s world standings and coming off their bronze medal run in 2022, the program is no longer a dark horse; they’re a powerhouse. With Dennis Schröder orchestrating the offense and a deep roster filled with size, shooting, and versatility, Germany is built to win. But the key to whether this team reaches the podium again, and potentially challenges for gold, lies with Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner.
Fresh off a career-best NBA season in which he averaged 24.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists, Wagner is set to take on an even bigger role for his national team. His offensive versatility, perimeter defense, and clutch scoring ability give Germany a weapon few nations can match. The big question now is: what kind of leap will Wagner make in EuroBasket 2025? Here are three bold predictions for what could be his defining summer on the international stage.
Wagner will lead EuroBasket in scoring
If there’s one area where Wagner has shown steady year-over-year growth, it’s his ability to create offense from anywhere on the floor. In Orlando, he’s become the Magic’s most reliable scorer when Paolo Banchero is sidelined, proving he can shoulder an All-Star workload. During a 20-game stretch without Banchero last season, Wagner averaged 26.1 points per game and was virtually unguardable.
Franz Wagner Is Ready For EuroBasket 🫡 https://t.co/LwJMmePAz8 pic.twitter.com/LXZKSxUSMi
— Huncho Hoops (@HunchoHoops) August 24, 2025
That same scoring package translates seamlessly into FIBA competition. Wagner can post up smaller wings, stretch the floor with his three-point shot, and attack the rim with authority. EuroBasket defenses are often vulnerable to dynamic scorers who can thrive in both isolation and structured sets. Wagner checks both boxes.
The absence of superstars on other national rosters could open the door for Wagner to seize the scoring crown. France won’t have Victor Wembanyama, Serbia may manage Nikola Jokić’s minutes carefully, and Spain’s offensive attack is more committee-based. For Germany, Wagner will be their primary option, and with Schröder running the pick-and-roll, he’ll get plenty of high-quality looks.
If Wagner averages anything close to 25 points per game in this tournament, he won’t just be Germany’s top scorer; he’ll lead all of EuroBasket.
Wagner will hit over 35% from three
This is the swing skill that could elevate Wagner from “great” to “superstar” in international play. While he has never been a consistent three-point shooter in the NBA, his career percentage hovers around the mid-30s. Wagner has the mechanics and volume to become elite from deep.
What makes this prediction bold is that Wagner’s recent NBA seasons have shown some decline in his perimeter shooting, dipping closer to 29% last year. Opponents often sag off him just enough to dare him into jumpers, and if he’s not knocking them down, his offensive impact becomes more predictable.
But EuroBasket presents a perfect environment for a shooting breakout. The shorter FIBA three-point line gives Wagner cleaner looks, and Germany’s offense is structured to generate rhythm shots through ball movement. With shooters like Isaiah Hartenstein spacing the floor and Schröder collapsing defenses, Wagner will be in position to catch-and-shoot instead of relying solely on difficult pull-ups.
If Wagner clears 35% from beyond the arc, Germany becomes nearly impossible to guard. It forces defenses to pick their poison: collapse on Schröder’s drives and leave Wagner open, or stay home and let Schröder attack single coverage. Either way, Germany wins. A hot shooting stretch from Wagner could be the difference between a bronze finish and a championship run.
Wagner will make the All-Tournament team
Perhaps the boldest prediction of all: Franz Wagner will be recognized not just as Germany’s best player, but as one of the best in all of EuroBasket 2025. That means securing a spot on the All-Tournament Team, an honor typically reserved for players who carry their nations deep into medal contention.
Germany has the roster balance to make a semifinal run, and Wagner is the centerpiece of that push. He doesn’t just score; he rebounds, facilitates, and defends multiple positions at a high level. His size on the wing makes him invaluable against elite forwards, and his defensive instincts give Germany flexibility to switch schemes.
Recognition on the All-Tournament Team also hinges on narrative, and Wagner has momentum on his side. After being labeled a future All-Star in the NBA and hearing his own teammate Schröder declare that he “should have been All-NBA First Team,” Wagner has a chance to validate those statements in front of the world.
If Germany ends up on the podium, and especially if they reach the final, Wagner will almost certainly be one of the names called when awards are handed out. It would mark his arrival as not only a franchise player in Orlando but also a generational leader for German basketball.
What it means for Germany
Germany enters EuroBasket 2025 with expectations that would have been unthinkable a decade ago. They’re no longer the underdog hoping to surprise someone in group play; they’re a legitimate favorite. And while Dennis Schröder remains the heartbeat of this team, Franz Wagner is the engine that can drive them to gold.
Leading the tournament in scoring, shooting over 35% from three, and earning All-Tournament honors might sound ambitious, but Wagner is built for the stage. This is his chance to cement himself as one of the premier international players in the world and carry Germany to heights they’ve only just begun to reach.
If these bold predictions come true, EuroBasket 2025 will be remembered as the summer Franz Wagner leaped from rising star to international superstar.
